NCSU Senior Day belonged to a junior

Sammy Batten Staff writer @FO_SammyBatten

Saturday

Nov 25, 2017 at 9:17 PMNov 25, 2017 at 9:29 PM

RALEIGH — Senior Day at N.C. State belonged to a junior at Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday.

Running back Nyheim Hines delivered a career-high 196 yards rushing and scored two critical touchdowns in the third quarter as the Wolfpack closed out the regular season with a 33-21 triumph against archrival North Carolina.

The performance helped create a fitting end to the home career for N.C. State's 20-man senior class, many of whom were part of the first recruiting class signed by head coach Dave Doeren. The group has endured “the good, bad, terrific and ugly,'' as Doeren put it Saturday, during their time in Raleigh. “But they've done a heck of a job helping build our program the way we want to build it.''

Having watched the last two senior classes leave Carter-Finley on a losing note, the 2017 class was even more motivated to go out a winner at home and with a victory against their fiercest rival. Losing to a UNC team that entered Saturday with a 3-8 record would have been humiliating.

And for a while Saturday, it appeared losing to the Tar Heels was a real possibility. Playing with nothing to lose and behind a vastly improved defense, UNC carried a 14-12 lead deep into the third quarter.

No practice, no problem

Hines might not have been the player picked to save the day against the Tar Heel earlier in the week. He exited last week's game against Wake Forest — a frustrating 30-24 setback — with concussion symptoms and spent most of last week being carefully monitored by N.C. State's medical staff.

But well before being cleared to play against the Tar Heels, Hines vowed he would be in the lineup.

“He told me (last) Sunday 'They're going to have to amputate parts of my body for me not to play against Carolina,' " Doeren said. “But he didn't practice all week. He was just out there watching, which may have been a good thing for his legs. He got pretty fresh standing around.''

“A lot of testing, a lot of waking up early going to treatment and a lot of sleeping,'' Hines said, describing the week. “This was probably the most I've slept since I was kid. I was excited to get cleared.''

Using the blinding speed that has also made him a star sprinter and relay member for N.C. State's track team, Hines turned the tide against UNC in a 96-second, two-play, 102-yard span in the third quarter.

Running off the right side on a “stretch play'' our “outside zone'' run, Hines bolted 54 yards for a touchdown with 40 seconds left in the third quarter to give N.C. State its first lead of the game. Then, after the Wolfpack defense intercepted a UNC pass, Hines took off on another run off the right side for a 48-yard score just 49 seconds into the final quarter.

Blood in the water

Hines, who attended the postgame press conference decked out in a red jacket with black trim, said the first touchdown run was a big relief for the Wolfpack.

“Everyone was excited and wanted to get another one,'' he said. “It was kind of a shark mentality. We smelled blood in the water.''

To their credit, the Tar Heels responded to Hines' two touchdowns with a score of their own to pull within 27-21 with 8:16 to play. But appropriately, it was senior all-purpose star Jaylen Samuels who sealed the victory for N.C. State with a 10-yard scoring run with 1:33 to play.

The triumph helped the Wolfpack close the regular season with an 8-4 record, and it will get a chance for a ninth win in postseason play. N.C. State also finishes 6-2 in ACC play, which is its highest number of league wins since 1994.

“You talk about going in the right direction, I think that's a great sign of what we're doing here,'' Doeren said. “None of these (senior) kids were alive when it happened last time.''

Neither was a junior who helped make it all happen.

Staff writer Sammy Batten can be reached at sbatten@fayobserver.com or 486-3534.

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